LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street

Washwood Heath Sidings: mrwhg355c

This close up of image 'mrwhg355' shows another section of the arrival sidings. Behind the buildings and towards the left was the "hump" which allowed wagons to be sorted into the various sidings under their own steam. Bob Pixton describes the process in his book "Birmingham-Derby Portrait of a Famous Route".

"This involved the engine being detached from the arrivals train. Next, the complete train would be dragged back to the shunting neck. The train was then 'cut' into groups of wagons or single ones according to their destination". The shunter would then gently move the wagons forward over the top of the shunt. Then the "Shunters literally chased the wagons as they came off the hump to pin down the brakes using long shunting poles to give extra leverage".

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